Prioritizing Possession: Two Methods to Help You Maintain Possession and Break Down Defenses

Possession is not an obvious concept in Rocket League. Since the ball constantly travels between halves and players, possession in Rocket League does not clearly manifest itself nor does any in-game statistic denote how much possession each team had throughout the match. However, it very much exists and plays an important role in the outcome of the game.

In RLCS season 4, as the passing meta came to fruition and players began to have more extensive control of their cars, we saw the concept of possession and complex passing plays in Rocket League become less abstract and more viable. Now, at the professional level, prioritizing team plays and car control that keeps possession is just the norm. At lower level play however, players still hit the ball without precise intent and hope. Possession derives from individual and team coordination. However much control your team had over the ball during the match defines how much possession you had during the game. That entire control can then be broken down into individual and team plays that ultimately has a butterfly effect on the overall outcome of the game. How you control the ball and pass within your team is the foundation for possession, pressure in your opponent’s half, and how you break down their defense over time. As the meta evolves, you should evolve with it. Here is how you can apply a new mentality of intent in-game to break out of the habit of mindlessly hitting it to an opponent and start breaking down defenses to score more goals.

Passing

Firstly, you have the option of passing the ball to, or at least in the general direction of, your teammate. If you are not certain on scoring, then your mindset should be towards maintaining possession for your team, so every touch should be made with that intent. In terms of passing, you have a plethora of options allowing you to keep possession on every point of field. Here are a couple popular examples of passes in high level of play that you can start applying to your game to broaden your team's offensive arsenal. 

- Backboard Pass

This one is the most basic type of pass, and chances are you have already started applying to your game. It involves hitting the ball against the opponent's backboard, but with more precise intent. Generally you want to backboard pass when you know a teammate is behind you, in which case they will most likely beat the opponent to the ball and score or at least make a solid challenge.

- Back Pass

Hitting the ball back into your half does not initially seem advantageous, but in terms of possession, making a back pass is often the best play. The back pass commonly occurs when on player is rotating back and another is rotating forward. Softly hit the ball towards your teammate to give them a headstart over the opponent allows your team to maintain possession and pressure in your opponent's half. 

- Infield Pass

This pass requires more awareness. Commonly when hitting the ball off the sidewall or from the side, you shooting it as powerfully as possible towards the opponent's net which is one option. However another option that is popular within the professional scene is more accurately hitting the ball infield to a teammate. Here is a play from Cloud 9 that exemplifies the infield pass.

 

Offensively, every action you take should be made to further one of two goals: keeping possession or scoring. This mentality is the foundation for that tight, precise passing professional teams make when doing those incredible passing plays.

For instance, this passing play exemplifies what it means to prioritize passing the ball to your teammate.

Any of the Chiefs eSports Club’s players could have taken the shot, but instead they decided to beat two NRG defenders with some close-proximity passing and score an open net.

Defensively passing is also a transitional tactic and by that I mean when transitioning from defense to offense, it is important to clear towards your teammate so they can not only be first to the ball, but also so they can get that extra touch to help you move out of your own half, converting pressure onto your opponent's half.

Taking a Touch and Slowing the Game Down

Secondly, with how fast Rocket League is played nowadays, the importance of slowing down the game is overlooked. Taking a soft touch and setting up your next hit has many benefits. Imagine if a professional soccer player received the ball with no pressure and they just launched it immediately. That would be ridiculous. The same concept applies to Rocket League. While the Rocket League is more fast-paced than soccer, you can still use the time you have available to take a soft touch and more intently set up your next hit to either a teammate or space. Not only can it keep possession as well as set up a subsequent more precise, powerful hit, but it can also allow your teammates time to either offensively or defensively rotate, collecting boost on the way. Here is a prime offensive example of slowing down your play and taking control of the ball to break down your opponent's defense.

Justin "JSTN" Morales could have easily boomed the ball or taken the fifty-fifty, but instead he decided to carefully bring it around his opponents and dribble it for a goal. Even if he did not score, slowing down the play like that and bringing the ball into his opponent's half amped up pressure and allowed his teammates time to either get in position or get boost.

In Rocket League, sometimes it can feel like you are just clearing the ball back and forth to each other from your half to theirs. This can often be because you aren’t playing to keep possession. Not taking control of the ball or not leading your clears to either a teammate or open space all impact how you maintain pressure in an opponent's half and break down their defense. If you are not confident in scoring the ball, every hit you cleanly make should have the purpose of preserving possession, especially when transitioning from offense to defense. Although some of what I said may seem obvious at first glance, in-game awareness is difficult to master when starting out. Applying these fundamentals in-game at consistent level is integral to succeeding no matter if you're solo queueing or playing with your team. No matter how tempting it is to lob a shot towards the goalie or clear the ball randomly to your opponent, it is important to keep in mind how many options you have as you prepare to hit the ball.

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